Canada Food Expo to South Korea, Japan and Taiwan

The Canadian Trade Commissioner in partnership with provincial partners, Group Export Agrifood and the Canadian Food Exporters Association  invite you to apply for the 2024 Canada Food Expo (CFE), taking place in Seoul, Tokyo, Osaka, and Taipei from September 22 to October 1.
All three markets are dynamic economies, net food importers and among the largest export destinations for Canada’s agriculture and seafood sectors. Japan is Canada’s third largest export destination for agriculture and seafood products, with exports valued at $4.4 billion in 2023. South Korea is Canada’s eighth largest destination for agriculture and seafood products, with exports valued at $980 million in 2023. In 2023, Canada’s exports of agriculture and seafood products to Taiwan increased by 20% to $404 million.

What is CFE?
CFE is an in-market mission to Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan that allows Canadian exporters to meet potential buyers and test their products in multiple markets at once.

Eligible products: The 2024 program seeks to promote innovative products that are geared towards a health-conscious consumer. Specifically, we are looking for processed food and beverage products that: 1) are fortified; 2) have functional or nutritional benefits; 3) are plant-based, natural, low additive or no additive; and/or 4) organic. This does not include nutritional supplements or nutraceuticals. While the preference is for retail or consumer-packaged products, we can also accommodate bulk ingredients.

Given capacity restrictions, we are only able to include 30 participating Canadian companies. We will select participants based on the following criteria:
• Product eligibility;
• Export readiness;
• Export experience, including to Asian markets;
• Feedback from local buyers; and
• Market access considerations.

Preference will be given to small and medium-sized enterprises and companies that have experience selling to large retailers such as Costco or by e-commerce.

What you can expect during CFE
• Market preparation meetings with Trade Commissioners;
• Sector briefings;
• Meetings with local importers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers; and
• Site visits.

Tentative Itinerary

• Seoul, South Korea (September 22-24)
  • Arrive from Canada by September 22 evening.
  • September 23: Customized business meetings, lunch networking reception, and table-top event.
  • September 24: Site visits. End at 2 p.m.
  • Afternoon flight to Tokyo at your own expense (3 hours)

• Tokyo, Japan (September 24-26)
  • Arrive from Seoul by September 24 evening.
  • September 25: Customized business meetings, lunch networking reception, and table-top event.
  • September 26: Customized business meeting and site visits. End at 4 p.m.
  • Evening bullet train to Osaka at your own expense (2.5 hours)

• Osaka, Japan (September 26-27)
  • Arrive from Tokyo by September 26 evening.
  • September 27: Customized business meetings, lunch networking reception, and table-top event.

Free time on Saturday, September 28 and Sunday, September 29. Please arrive Taipei from Japan by Sunday, September 29 evening. The flight to Taipei (3 hours) is at your own expense.

• Taipei, Taiwan (September 29-October 1)
  • September 30: Customized business meetings, lunch networking reception, and table-top event.
  • October 1: Site visits.
  • End of program.

Price : 

• Participation Price (if selected) : $ 2,300

Financial assistance for participants

Reimbursement of a travel lump sum of $ 2,350 per person, for a maximum of two lump sums per company.

• To benefit from the lump sum reimbursements, the company must absolutely provide proof of travel (e.g. airline, train, bus ticket, etc. with complete itinerary or gas receipt near destination) AND proof of accommodation (e.g. official hotel invoice, AirBNB, etc.).
• To obtain two travel lump sum reimbursements, the same proof mentioned above is requested for each reimbursement.
  • If the two people share the same transportation (e.g. carpooling), two separate proofs of accommodation will be required and the name of the company or traveler must appear on them (e.g. two hotel bills).
  • If the two people share the same accommodation, two separate proofs of transportation will be required (e.g. two airline tickets).
• You will be entitled to an extra $500 per lump sum if your company is located in one of the following regions: Gaspésie-Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Côte-Nord, Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean, Bas-Saint-Laurent, Abitibi-Témiscamingue and Nord-du-Québec.
• Group Export reserves the right to request any additional supporting documentation.

By registering to this event, you agree to complete and return the activity report which will be forwarded to you shortly. You will have 60 days following the event to send us back the completed report, otherwise you may be required to reimburse the subsidies received for this activity. The data that will be compiled is for the sole purpose of evaluating the economic benefits of this activity.

Cancellation policy

The Group Export Agri-Food is a non profit organization who manages export financial programs from the ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation du Québec and from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.

As an administrator of government programs, Group Export had to implement a cancellation policy which applies for trade show participation. Policy’s details are as follows:

When a participation or registration form is completed by a representative of a company, this company becomes liable to the Group Export Agri-Food, as this form is a contract between the company and the Association.

• In the five days following registration, the company must pay, as a deposit, 50% of participation fees. This amount can either be paid by check, direct deposit or credit card by contacting the Group Export’s financial department at 450-649-6266.
• Direct deposits are preferred.
• The remaining 50% of participation fees must be paid at least 60 days before the activity.
• If the company does not respect these terms, Group Export Agri-Food has the right to cancel the company’s participation.
• When a company is cancelling its participation:
  • If the company or Group Export Agri-Food finds a replacing participant, the full amount will be reimbursed, except for a $200 administration fee, as soon as the replacing participant has paid in full the amount due.
  • In case a substitute cannot be found, all other incurred charges, including 100% of the invoice for a space reservation, would be charged to the company.
  • All cancellations must be made in writing and be addressed to the person in charge of the trade show, whose name appears on the registration form.

This policy was endorsed by the Group Export Agri-Food’s Board of Directors, on February 14, 2008.

Eligibility for Participants

To qualify as a participant, the company must:

• Meet all eligibility criteria for provincial subsidies applicable to this activity.
• Hold a license number from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) or demonstrate that it is not required for its type of business.
  The Group Export reserves the right to refuse any registration for this activity.